Short sleeve stent delivery catheter and methods

Abstract

A stent delivery catheter comprises a catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a guidewire lumen extending from the distal end to at least part way between the proximal end and the distal end. A balloon is disposed over the catheter body near the distal end, and a stent is positioned over the balloon. The stent has a proximal end, a distal end, and a side opening between the proximal end and the distal end. A side sheath is coupled to the catheter body and has a proximal end, a distal end, and a guidewire lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The proximal end of the side sheath is located between the proximal end of the catheter body and the balloon, and the side sheath exits out of the side opening of the stent.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 860,744 filed on May 18, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,639, issued on Jun. 17, 2008 entitled SHORT SLEEVE STENT DELIVERY CATHETER AND METHODS, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.[0002]U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,639 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 325,996, filed Jun. 4, 1999, entitled “CATHETER WITH SIDE SHEATH,” the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This application claims priority to Ser. No. 09 / 325,996 to the extent appropriate by law.[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,639 also is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 455,299, filed Dec. 6, 1999, entitled “CATHETER WITH ATTACHED FLEXIBLE SIDE SHEATH,” the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This application claims priority to Ser. No. 09 / 455,299 to the extent appropriate by law.[0004]U.S. ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The solution enables successful stent deployment at bifurcations with reduced trauma to the patient, improved maneuverability, and reduced risk of guidewire crossing, allowing for precise alignment and deployment of stents in complex vascular structures.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, regular stents have been used at bifurcation lesions with limited success rates (Chevalier, B. et al.

One of the drawbacks of conventional stents is that they are generally produced in a straight tubular configuration.

The use of such stents to treat diseased vessels at or near a bifurcation (branch point) of a vessel may create a risk of compromising the degree of patency of the main vessel and / or its branches, or the bifurcation point and also limits the ability to insert a branch stent into the side branch if the result of treatment of the main, or branch vessel is suboptimal.

This condition may prevent the successful delivery of the catheter system by impeding its travel and, subsequently, the alignment of the stent's side opening with the ostium of the branch vessel.

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